Mayor Wants Jesus Prayers and Christian Community - Lancaster, California (L.A. County) - Updates - Latest Update: 04/14/10

February 3 2010...

Wow! So I just tried to check the local newspaper for Lancaster/Palmdale (California), and came across the Antelope Valley Press.

All I could copy and paste was today's "teaser," which is interesting in and of itself. These people are absolutely bonkers!

LANCASTER - Councilwoman Sherry Marquez doesn't like swearing, so now there's a "No Cuss" jar at City Hall, filling up with money from councilmembers and city staff. For complete story, subscribe to the Antelope Valley Press.

http://www.au.org/media/church-and-state/archives/2010/02/state-constitutions-an...

State Constitutions And Religious Bigotry

February 2010 Featured

By Rob Boston

Eight states retain provisions in their constitutions limiting public office to people who profess belief in God. Thanks to the 1961 Supreme Court ruling in Torcaso v. Watkins, these restrictions can no longer be enforced and are considered dead letters.

Arkansas: “No person who denies the being of a God shall hold any office in the civil departments of this State, nor be competent to testify as a witness in any Court.” (Article IXX, Section 1)

Maryland: “[N]o religious test ought ever to be required as a qualification for any office of profit or trust in this State, other than a declaration of belief in the existence of God….” (Article XXXVII)

Mississippi: “No person who denies the existence of a Supreme Being shall hold any office in this state.” (Article XIV, Section 265) Ironically, Article III, Section 18 of the state’s constitution declares, “No religious test as a qualification for office shall be required.”

North Carolina: “The following persons shall be disqualified for office. First, any person who shall deny the being of Almighty God.” (Article VI, Section 8)

Pennsylvania: “No person who acknowledges the being of a God and a future state of rewards and punishments shall, on account of his religious sentiments, be disqualified to hold any office or place of trust or profit under this Commonwealth.” (Article I, Section 4)

South Carolina: “No person who denies the existence of a Supreme Being shall hold any office under this Constitution. (Article XVII, Section 4)

Tennessee: “No person who denies the being of God, or a future state of rewards and punishments, shall hold any office in the civil department of this state.” (Article IX, Section 2)

Texas: “No religious test shall ever be required as a qualification to any office, or public trust, in this State; nor shall any one be excluded from holding office on account of his religious sentiments, provided he acknowledge the existence of a Supreme Being.” (Article I, Section 4)

At the federal level, the story is quite different. Article VI of the U.S. Constitution requires that officeholders swear an oath or give an affirmation to support that document then adds “but no religious Test shall ever be required as a Qualification to any Office or public Trust under the United States.”

More comments on KNBC-LA's website:

zoinks
Recall this religious fanatic.
7:52 PM, 1.30.10

caveman73
What the hell is wrong with some christians? Why can't just believe in their fairy tale and not shred our US Constitution. I truly hope FFRF get involved and sue if this is passed.
7:07 AM, 1.31.10

iluvla
Hmm...this type of policy reminds me of those that are implemented in say...Iran...

What a shame that this mayor doesn't want everyone to feel welcome in his community.
6:14 PM, 1.31.10

anonymous
Not only is Parris a religious nutjob, he also believes the Constitution only applies to certain mebers of sociey & not all everyone. He's even on record stating this more than once.
I live in this city be refuse to spend 1c at Lancaster shops so he doesn't get ANY sales tax from me to support his brand of fascism. Palmdale gets all my sales tax dollars.
7:30 PM, 1.31.10

Some comments on NBC-LA's website in regard to this controlling mayor...

anonymous
Well heaven forbid, we step on someone's and alienate them. We have to be politically correct. Our country is in turmoil because we have gotten away from our Christian heritage. This mayor is taking one step back towards those roots.
4:00 PM, 1.30.10

anonymous
more fear mongering. this mayor ever heard of separation of church and state? founding fathers are spinning in their graves.
4:20 PM, 1.30.10

anonymous
Oh ye of little faith! Are you so afraid that a few non-Christians can take your whole religion down that you have to implement its practice in your government?

But don't worry. Even if you pass your silly law it will be invalidated by any number of courts. If you really want to impose your religion on the government by law, go to Iran!
7:08 PM, 1.30.10

anonymous
Perhaps the Bob Kellar, the racist City Council Member from Santa Clarita would feel more comfortable moving a little further north and east to Lancaster.

How do these crazy wack jobs get elected, time and again.. oh yes, voter apathy.

It's time to take back our Country from the religious right. This is AMERICA. Separation of Church and State is one of our inalienable rights!

Shame on these idiots!
7:29 PM, 1.30.10

anonymous
Time to recall this religious fanatic. He is a lunatic on par with all of the other radically superstitious people on the planet. I hope this guy is on the "no fly" list.
7:39 PM, 1.30.10

If some folks wish to violate the First Commandment by acknowledging a human being as their deity, they should be allowed to do so without let or hindrance. (Most religions do not even recognize the Ten Commandments.) But the same courtesy should be extended to those who decline to acknowledge that human being as a deity.

... Continued...

Johnathon Ervin, 30, believes his refusal to be a Parris "yes man" got him fired in August from his position on Lancaster's seven-person Planning Commission -- a post to which Parris had appointed him a year earlier.

Ervin, an Air Force reservist, was alone in voting against allowing a Wal-Mart super center on the Lancaster-Quartz Hill border -- a project supported by Parris but fiercely challenged by many area residents.
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"If he doesn't get what he wants, he will get rid of what he sees as the obstacle," Ervin said. "He has a control fetish."

"He's basically killed the whole concept of democracy in Lancaster," said Denise Latanzi, a homemaker who pursued a failed bid for a City Council seat last year. She called Parris' governance style "bombastic" and criticized his tendency to "dress down" citizens at council meetings.

The mayor contends that Ervin was trying to cut a private deal with the Wal-Mart developers. As for other opponents, he says many are people who have done little to help improve Lancaster and some are jealous of his success.

Parris' mother, Jeanne Powers, gushes with pride over her son's achievements and defends his need "to be ruthless."

"Rex has accomplished an awful lot in his life against all odds," she said.

In his home office, which his wife calls his "cave," Parris buries himself in books on cognitive science, a favorite topic. He also studies Mandarin Chinese with the hope that it may be useful in attracting Chinese manufacturing businesses to Lancaster. At his urging, the city has hired a Mandarin tutor for its staff.

The mayor says he envisions a Lancaster of ethnic and class integration, with community gardens, 60% homeownership in all neighborhoods and a mix of "older Generation Y and younger Generation X."

"I would like to make this the best small city in America," Parris said. "How I'll know that I'm successful is when the happiness level of the people who live here rises substantially."

--

ann.simmons@latimes.com

... Continued...

In the backyard, where two great Danes named Jack and Bell roam, a waterfall gushes over rocks into a lake-like pool. There are tennis and basketball courts, a granite-countered bar and grill. Tomato plants, pumpkins and corn flourish in manicured beds.

Parris, the father of four adult children, said he invites disadvantaged local children to swim and hang out in his yard. He said he wants to show them that although they might start out with little, as he did, they can still succeed if they work hard.
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"He has a heart of gold," said Milton Grimes, a notable Los Angeles trial attorney and Parris' longtime friend. "It's just hard for you to see it behind the staunch, conservative, Republican, no bull kind of guy."

A staunch Republican and Baptist who believes gang crime and disproportionate Section 8 housing are the twin curses of his high desert town, he acknowledged that he could "probably do things better" and "could probably be nicer."

But he makes no excuses for proposing laws he feels make sense or for shutting down opponents he thinks do not.

"I don't suffer fools easily," Parris said.

Some critics charge that he intentionally targets minorities in his quest to "clean up" Lancaster, and brand him a racist. Parris calls the charges "a cheap shot" and says it's "painful to hear that, because it's so far from the truth."

"I tell African American mothers, it's not my children these gangs are killing. It's not my children who are going to prison because of these gangs," Parris said.

He explains that he wouldn't mind accommodating Section 8 tenants if the city got adequate funding to support them. He refuses to allow Lancaster to become a "dumping ground" for all of L.A. County's homeless. And to "those morons" who want to call him names, he says, check the stats. Lancaster's crime rate has plummeted by almost 30% since he became mayor, and gang crimes are down 80%, according to statistics from the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department.

His brashness -- and, some argue, bullying -- have earned him enemies. Sometimes he hires security guards when doing business.

"He's arrogant. He's self-serving. He doesn't really care what people think," said Arnie Rodeo, 55, a local businessman who ran for mayor against Parris last year and lost by 351 votes. "He surrounds himself with 'yes' people."

... Continued...

... Continued...

For all the tough talk, Raymond "Rex" Parris is a complex person. His mother was a waitress. His father disappeared early in his life, and the family -- for a while -- was on welfare. The third of four sons, Parris dropped out of high school, worked as a busboy, got hooked on drugs and nearly went to jail. He eventually righted the ship and went to law school.
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Now he has a booming law firm in town that specializes in class-action, personal injury and malpractice cases. He has won several multimillion-dollar jury verdicts for clients, and in July he was lead trial counsel in a civil defamation lawsuit filed by five former employees of Guess Inc. that resulted in a $370-million judgment against company co-founder Georges Marciano.

It's hard to miss his name in Lancaster. Ads for his services are splashed across television, billboards and local telephone directories. He has given handsomely to charity, underwritten academic grants and been involved in local schools so deeply that one of Lancaster's high schools was named in his honor eight years ago.

He is hardly shy about wearing the spoils of his success.

An imposing man with a white mane and beard that give him a striking resemblance to country music singer Kenny Rogers, Parris dresses in crisply tailored suits and black crocodile leather cowboy boots. He carries an Amazon Kindle electronic book reader.

He drives an exotic gray Audi sports car that auto industry magazines list between $60,000 and $90,000. Parris said he had to wait about six months for a dealer to get the car from Germany.

On a recent drive home from City Hall, Parris stroked the paneling surrounding the car's steering wheel.

"It's made of graphite," he said, and recalled how a scratch recently set him back $8,000 in repairs.

His home of 16 years in the exclusive Westfield Estates gated community, on Lancaster's west side, is palatial. The 5,000-square-foot residence, secluded on an acre, resembles a museum, with ornate chandeliers and Italian marble tile floors. His wife, Carrol, was in charge of decorating the home, meticulously selecting each of the furnishings.

Family portraits hang over fireplaces and in hallways. A restored Steinway & Sons piano graces the family room. On top lies a concert violin Parris' wife bought him after he had taken six months of lessons.

... Continued...

http://articles.latimes.com/2009/sep/20/local/me-mayor-rex20

"Fascinating" little article I just dug up from the Los Angeles Times, back on the 20th of September, in 2009, about Mayor R. Rex Parris, a racist...

Hold your tempers...

Lancaster mayor is anything but politically correct
Rex Parris has proudly forged a reputation as a no-nonsense leader. But some say he's gone too far.
September 20, 2009|Ann M. Simmons

After each City Council meeting, Lancaster Mayor R. Rex Parris heads home, flips on his TiVo and watches a replay of the town hall proceedings. His wife makes notes of the sections she feels her husband should review, along with suggestions of what he could have done better: Temper an angry exchange. Soften a terse response. Listen.

It may seem oddly reflective behavior for a man who has proudly forged a reputation as a no-nonsense, hard-boiled politician, more Old West sheriff than diplomat.
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After all, Parris is the guy who tried to ban dogs known to be favored by gangs, proposed restrictions on landlords who want to rent to tenants with Section 8 federal housing vouchers, helped fund a program to bus homeless people out of town and shut down a local motel to prevent the notorious Mongols motorcycle club from meeting in Lancaster.

Supporters cheer him for ratcheting up public safety, coming to the aid of local merchants and kicking aside roadblocks for developers wanting to do business in town.

"He doesn't pussyfoot around," said Bishop Henry Hearns, who served 18 years on the City Council, including two terms as Lancaster's first African American mayor.

But critics say Parris, who was elected last year, is an arrogant bully and an unstoppable control freak. "King Rex" they call him, or "T. Rex." Scott Pelka, 52, a self-described archenemy of Parris and long-time Lancaster resident, said the mayor has created a "dictatorship" in which challenges to his authority are simply not tolerated.

"He is the best of us, he is the worst of us. It depends on whether or not you agree with him," allowed Diana Beard-Williams, who worked on Parris' mayoral election campaign.

It's easy to see why Parris, 57, might polarize constituents. Get him talking about gangs, for instance, and he offers up this:

"There is no mercy," he said, speaking of gangbangers while in his plush City Hall office adorned with leather furnishings, a curved wooden desk and photos taken with celebrities such as Muhammad Ali, former Secretary of State Gen. Colin Powell and President Reagan. "You don't work with them, you destroy them. It's simple."

And if there's "collateral damage," well, he says he's willing to take that chance. "I would just like to remove the insanity. If that makes me a barbarian, so be it."

Continued...

http://www.mymotherlode.com/news/state/ap/800074/Islamic-activists-angered-by-So...

_____________________________

Islamic activists angered by SoCal mayor's speech

_____________________________

Islamic-rights activists are criticizing the mayor of Lancaster for promoting Christianity during his State of the City speech this week, specifically his comment that he is"growing a Christian community."

The Los Angeles chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations said Friday that Mayor R. Rex Parris shouldn't have used his official capacity at the city event to advance a particular religion.

Parris also urged voters to approve an April ballot measure that would endorse prayer at city meetings.

After the speech he told the Antelope Valley Press that his comments were not meant to exclude anyone.

The Muslim group says it will file a complaint about the mayor's remarks with the Civil Rights Division of the U.S. Department of Justice.

Rob Boston, a senior policy analyst for the watchdog group, Americans United for Separation of Church and State, had this to say,

"There's no such thing as a Christian government or an officially Christian community in the United States. Our Constitution is a secular document establishing religious freedom for everybody."

Hail Satan!

... Continued...

The article then goes on to say:

“At the same time, by using the aircraft “we’ll be able to utilize services like we’ve never done before.”

“I honestly believe we’re on the way to becoming the safest city in America,” Parris said, despite the many reasons that shouldn’t happen, including the city’s proximity to a state prison and the high number of parolees in the community.”

WOW! Now the mayor uses FEAR TACTICS on the SHOULDERS of PAROLEE’S; who HAVE already PAID THEIR DEBT to the SYSTEM and SOCIETY; to try again through FEAR to sell the EYE in the SKY! What a GOOD CHRISTIAN SELL! NOT!

Then the article goes on to say:

“The mayor also praised the introduction of Community Impact Homes in the community.

The first two, one near Piute Middle School and the other in the Trend tract, are run by personnel from the Grace Chapel and Central Christian Church.

“Parris said, “We’re not putting churches (running neighborhood houses) in every impoverished neighborhood. I’d like to put them in every neighborhood.’”

Can you PLEASE define CHURCH? Does that include Synagogues and Mosques? Or does that include any thing that qualifies for tax exempt status?

The article then goes on to say:

“The mayor also said he would like to have health workers operate out of community houses.

He also said that on Sundays, church buses should be stopping at homes in all the neighbor hoods to take children to church.”…

Whoa! Does all that BLUR the LINES between CHURCH and STATE and reek of the Orson Welles’ vision of the future?

You can read the whole article at http://www.avpress.com/n/28/index.hts but you have to pay to get it.

... Continued...

Here we go with the truth as the article goes on to say:

“Despite the best efforts of the Sheriff’s Department, that drop wouldn’t have occurred without the cooperation of all the city’s departments and its citizenry, Parris said.

“It was all of us coming together,” he said.”

So the way I read it, the whole community finally came together WITHOUT PRAYER in Jesus’ name and dedicating the city of Lancaster as a Christian community? By making that CLEAR DIVISION of CHURCH and STATE?

The article then goes on to say:

“Parris praised the jump from 118 active Neighborhood Watch groups in 2008 to 192 in 2009, and an even greater hike in involvement in Business Watch.”

I Praise those who are finally taking the some total of their brothers and sisters welfare; as loving thy neighbor to heart!

The article goes on to show some of the steps taken such as:

“Other city-lead actions took a large step to reduce what he described as “hyper vigilance” of youth, which lead them to become more vulnerable to gang involvement.

Specifically, by allowing graffiti, truancy, roving pit bulls and gangs to proliferate, we were putting our children in harm’s way, Parris said.

To that end the city:

* · Cleaned up graffiti in 18,114 locations in 2009
* · Removed 1,034 pit bulls from the city streets during the same time frame.”

(OKAY all you Orson Welles followers pay attention) You think Orson might have had a vision?

To that end the aforementioned is the lead in to the eye in the sky.

“Parris also touted the planned Voyager Sky Sentinel project, which will allow a Sheriff’s Department official to keep an eye on crime above the city from some 8,000 feet above the ground.

He noted that, during one demonstration of the aircraft, the brainchild of aviation pioneer Dick Rutan, he was able see every detail of an accident or crime in real time.

He discounted any idea of the plane infringing on the privacy of law-abiding individuals, noting, ‘This(sic) device will not do anything a current (Sheriff’s Department) helicopter can’t do.’”

Well folks, I’d have to say that it does do something a helicopter doesn’t, you don’t hear it. And at 8,000 ft. it just might pick you up in the buff in your own back yard should you run out to do whatever and the crime is right next door. If you have to bare your derriere in the woods, hopefully you have no crime going on in the area.

One thing I have to give them credit for; the paper the day before announced the arrival of this Orson ion devise (Voyager Sky Sentinel project) and the Mayor brought it on in under the guise of the less crime and a good compliant Christian community. Hmmmm…. I guess we can’t read behind the lines. What do you think WE the PEOPLE? .

... Continued...

... Continued...

The article goes on to say:

The council put the measure on the ballot after the American Civil Liberties Union sent the city a letter warning that said allowing “sectarian” prayers, such as those that mention Jesus Christ, at government meetings is divisive and unconstitutional.

“I need them standing up and saying we’re a Christian community, and we’re proud of that,” he said, speaking as his multi-media PowerPoint demonstration flashed a big-screen picture with a large Christian cross and the phrase “2010 Growing a Christian Community.”

Here is where I have to draw the line between church and state, which I don’t see in the aforementioned.

For all who have read my stuff and know my professions to be a Christian (Trying to be) as (Christ-like as I can with Hope)I have to say Jesus was no part in any government. I am sure he abided the laws of the land, but from what I have read Jesus never gave a platform for government, only to His Father.

Then the article goes on to say:

“Asked afterward whether his talk of being a “Christian community” tends to leave out or anger residents who are not Christian, the mayor said he doesn’t mean to exclude anyone.

Noting that he had a meeting scheduled that evening with members of a local gay and lesbian organization, Parris said, “My vision of it is not a vision of exclusion. It’s a vision of attraction. I understand for so long it had an exclusionary feel to it. That doesn’t mean we shouldn’t do it. We should remove the exclusionary aspect.”

Am I reading this right! What is it you are getting from the aforementioned?

The article then goes on to say:

“Parris maintained in post-speech remarks that a Christian city had a better sense of community than as an “atheistic city,” and said the progress Lancaster has made over the past several years came about because of the sense of cooperation between the various elements in the city.”

Am I reading this correctly? Are all the God professing people who don’t stand up and broadcast their contributions to the community as Christian and those with just a good moral compass being excluded?

Then the article goes on to say:

“As a prime example, he referred to the recently announced 31% drop in the Lancaster crime rate in the past two years, commenting, “That 31% is the difference between a city(sic)that is dangerous to live in vs. a city that is safe to live in.”

...Continued...

Is This Hypocrisy as a Pillar of Light? Is This Division of Church and State?
____________________________________________

January 29, 2010 05:51 PM EST (Updated: January 31, 2010 04:40 PM EST)

(There is No Religion Higher than the Truth)

© Rose Traver 2010

Please read the Lead article January 24, 2010 it will give you the backers that they really aren't ready to list. It makes for interesting reading if you can FIND THAT front page at the AV Press' site. I searched and every one comes up but the one listed below.

"Eye on "Sentinel in the Sky'"

(My words) "Coming to YOUR city soon!

http://www.avpress.com/

Front page of the Valley Press paper. January 28, 2010

"Parris touts city as 'Christian Community'"

ANNUAL UPDATE - Lancaster Mayor R. Rex Parris, above, gives his State of the City speech.

RON SIDDLE/Valley Press

“LANCASTER - Mayor R. Parris sees his city as strongly Christian, and he's proud of that. "We're growing a Christian community, and don't let anybody shy away from that," he told an audience of 160 people, mainly pastors and their spouses, during his State of the City address Tuesday at the John P. Eliopulos Hellenic Center.”

“He said he wants the community’s electorate to validate a Christian stance in the April municipal election, in which a ballot measure endorses prayers at city meetings, specifically with permission to invoke a specific deity, including Jesus.”

“While Parris, who is running for a second term as mayor in April, said he didn’t care which candidate the voters favored, “I do want them voting for that prayer amendment,” referring to a measure asking voters whether or not the City Council should seek religious guidance before its meetings.”

At this point I would have to say that each and every person should in fact seek guidance from God every day. We the people of God don’t have to have validations of the prayers we seek answers to through any government entity.

Matt. 6

[5] And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, they have their reward.

[6] But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.

[7] But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking.

Continued...

http://www.mercurynews.com/news/ci_14299008

Islamic activists angered by Southern California mayor's speech

____________________________________________

The Associated Press
Posted: 01/29/2010 09:10:45 PM PST
Updated: 01/29/2010 09:10:46 PM PST

LANCASTER, Calif.—Islamic-rights activists are criticizing the mayor of Lancaster for promoting Christianity during his State of the City speech this week, specifically his comment that he is "growing a Christian community."

The Los Angeles chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations said Friday that Mayor R. Rex Parris shouldn't have used his official capacity at the city event to advance a particular religion.

Parris also urged voters to approve an April ballot measure that would endorse prayer at city meetings.

After the speech he told the Antelope Valley Press that his comments were not meant to exclude anyone.

The Muslim group says it will file a complaint about the mayor's remarks with the Civil Rights Division of the U.S. Department of Justice.

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2010/01/mayor-denounced-for-saying-lancast...

Mayor Denounced for Saying Lancaster is 'Growing a Christian Community'

Sunday - January 31, 2010 | 2:17 pm | Los Angeles Times

Lancaster Mayor R. Rex Parris drew criticism from a leading Muslim group today after saying in his annual State of the City address that the high desert town was “growing a Christian community.”

"We're growing a Christian community, and don't let anybody shy away from that,” Parris told the audience of ministers gathered for his address.

“I need [Lancaster residents] standing up and saying we're a Christian community, and we're proud of that," the mayor said.

The Greater Los Angeles area office of the Council on American-Islamic Relations denounced the statement and said it plans to file a complaint about the mayor's remarks with the civil rights division of the U.S. Justice Department.

“Elected officials should not use their public positions to impose their religious beliefs on others," said Hussam Ayloush, executive director of the Los Angeles chapter of CAIR.

The mayor, reached by telephone today, said his remarks did not intend to impose his faith on others, and he said he would make no apology.

“This is just about very few people wanting to get their 15 minutes of fame,” he said. “I guess they got it.”

-- Garrett Therolf

Here are some of the comments made by Santa Clarita City Councilman Bob Kellar at a Jan. 16 anti-illegal-immigration rally.

(In his statement, he refers to a Theodore Roosevelt quote which read in part, "We have room for but one flag, the American flag... We have room for but one language here, and that is the English language.")

"We have got to wake up America. I know you guys are engaged and you understand. But I'm telling you this is serious. And if I sound like a radical, thank you. I consider that a compliment.

"Roger (a previous speaker at the rally) a moment ago mentioned what Teddy Roosevelt had said, and he was right on: One flag, one language.

"I read that comment by Teddy Roosevelt at one of our council meetings a couple years ago. I said, `Folks this is important.'

"The only thing I heard back from a couple people was `Bob you sound like a racist.'

"I said, `That's good. If that's what you think I am because I happen to believe in America. I'm a proud racist. You're darn right I am.' "

Parris, who is running for a second term as mayor, said in an interview Friday that his vision of Lancaster as a "Christian community" is not intended to "infringe" on other religions. He said whoever leads a prayer in a city meeting should be allowed to invoke any deity he or she chooses.

Proof of my point--if you can't even follow your own logic to the end of a sentence there is just no hope.

Seriously--why are the radical jihadists attacking us? Because they don't see the difference between allah and the christian's god. And honestly how is some muslim cleric in Yemen calling for a return to radical islam and an absolute following of allah's law any different from or more of a terrorist or more of a jerk than these council members? They are both guilty of stirring up religious hatred and holy war--and they should rightly so both be held morally and ethically responsible for the blood on their hands from when people take their words and use them as a justification to kill.

Kellar first referred to a statement from President Theodore Roosevelt that says the United States only has room for one flag and one language. He said he had quoted it at a past City Council meeting.

The irony of this statement is that in California's case it actually was not initially part of the United States--so called white Americans just took it over--so in all honesty it's true California should have only "one flag and one language" but it should actually be a Mexican flag and the Spanish language--and if the Mexicans wanted to declare a "holy war" it should have been against the Cherokee or the Sioux or whatever tribe of people shared the land with them--since here again idiot--the Mexican people and the native tribal people lived in and owned California long before your sorry white male butt hiked over the Rockies to take over.

Last I checked--Christopher Columbus and every single white colonist from England were essentially illegal immigrants--and blacks weren't even given a choice if they wanted to immigrate or not.

One week ago, Lancaster city council member Sherry Marquez wrote on her Facebook page that the beheading murder of an Islamic woman by her husband in New York shows that vicious murders are what Muslims embrace.

"This is what the Muslim religion is all about -- the beheadings, honor killings are just the beginning of what is about to come to the USA," she reportedly wrote on the Web Jan. 23. "We are told this is a small minority of Muslim's (sic) in America, but it is truly what they are all about."

But shooting Muslims with guns inscribed with Christian bible verses is not hypocritical or judgmental or hugely stereotypical at all right?

Or what if I were to assume that this woman's last name sounds slightly Mexican so therefore she must of course be an illegal immigrant?

Ugh I am so tired of our culture's inability to understand logic ( I mean I am not Vulcan--but seriously a little common sense or basic grasp of the concept of logic combined with a wee bit of understanding that not everybody fits into the media stereotypes about them would be nice).

In a later interview with the Daily News, Parris expressed surprise that some religious leaders object to prayers to Jesus at city meetings, and blamed opposition on activists who "want a fight," the newspaper reported. "They want their 15 minutes of fame."

But in no way did this guy put this out there to get try and recapture his own 14 minutes and 58 seconds right?

So, then, to hell with those of us who don't believe in gods???

"I support the doctrine of separation of church and state as traditionally interpreted to prohibit the establishment of an official national religion. But this does not mean that we should divorce government from any formal recognition of God. To do so strikes a potentially fatal blow at the concept of the divine origin of our rights, and unlocks the door for an easy entry of future tyranny. If Americans should ever come to believe that their rights and freedoms are instituted among men by politicians and bureaucrats, they will no longer carry the proud inheritance of their forefathers, but will grovel before their masters seeking favors and dispensations -- a throwback to the feudal system of the Dark Ages." (Ezra Taft Benson, "Freedom Is Our Heritage," 10 Nov. 1970)

Bottom-line concern of mine is -- to get back on subject -- that religion has no place in politics, no matter at what level. Someone's ALWAYS going to be left out.

I'm afraid it WILL happen, though. Just as with Santa Clarita, we've got these insane politicians constantly re-voted in, who think they're something special when, in fact, they're closet-bigots (and, therefore, not "god"- or "Jesus"-lovers, as they'd like everyone to think). In fact, if you read the article I submitted to this one, about Santa Clarita's ex-mayor/soon-to-be-mayor-again Bob Kellar, this idiot just publicly proclaimed himself a "proud racist."

I know that if the dead Jesus COULD return, he'd be sobbing from grief.

all i have to say is good-luck... it will never happen cause we don't care

They do not need to pray for a city that is not mostly Christian. I don't think it's important to pray in a big public setting. It's a terrible idea and ignores other people's views all together. It's no ok.

I agree, God is needed in our country now more than ever.

Christ came for all of us...this is one of the reasons why He died...despite all the rumors and so forth thats been goin on...HE came to be the sacrifice for the sacrificial law...and used His Soul and body to die for our sins from then on until He returns...there's not a nationality box for u to check, to be a believer...why do u think He calls us His beloved..?..there's only ONE true and living God/..YAHWEH......just talk to Him like u did when u were a child...>>>>)

I will definitely spread the word!

Well, you and I are STUCK in these cities, aren't we?

Please spread the word that you don't want to be a part of this, and see if you can get other friends and neighbors vocally involved.

"Christians" who don't behave the least like the way Christ would have...

Thank you for adding this! I live in Lancaster!

Why does this surprise anyone? The Republican party has long been a the party of racists, when they speak of "states rights" they mean they want to be able to segregate schools, restaurants, theaters etc without the federal governments "interference" Same thing with school vouchers, they want vouchers so that they can run the fee up for all white schools so that it will be out of the reach of many minority families. They aren't against "illegal" immigration, they are hating on Mexicans, everybody knows this. What is ridiculous is that they make these flimsy attempts to mask their racism by simply saying that they are not racist. It's like when two people get on an elevator and one of them farts, they both know who did it regardless of what the person who did it says.

More disgusting utter nonsense from the self-appointed "Christians."

...Continued...

Issue still smolders
That apology "failed to address her remarks that have caused a lot of pain for the Muslim community," said Munira Syeda, the CAIR spokeswoman.

A city spokesman said Friday that Marquez would have no further comment.

Al-Khatib also said Parris' statement that Lancaster is a Christian community alienates Muslims, who number about 10,000 - 2.7 percent of the Antelope Valley's population - and worship at two local mosques.

"This is not what America is all about," Al-Khatib said. "America is for everybody."

Al-Khatib, a real-estate broker who came to the United States in 1986 to go to college, said he has never felt unwelcome in Palmdale, where he has lived for 20 years.

His displeasure with Parris and Marquez is "not going to change my belief in my community," Al-Khatib said. "American society is a beautiful society."

Marquez is active in Antelope Valley Republican circles. After CAIR called on the California Republican Party to "repudiate" her comments, the party issued a statement saying it "obviously doesn't condone statements that generalize or stereotype any individual or group on the basis of their religious beliefs."

Parris, who is running for a second term as mayor, said in an interview Friday that his vision of Lancaster as a "Christian community" is not intended to "infringe" on other religions. He said whoever leads a prayer in a city meeting should be allowed to invoke any deity he or she chooses.
Prayer measure on ballot
Parris said he thinks most people of other faiths understand and support him, but activists "want ... a fight. They want their 15 minutes of fame."

The measure Parris promotes was placed on the April ballot after the American Civil Liberties Union opposed Lancaster officials' opening government meetings with sectarian prayers.

Friday, a representative of Americans United for Separation of Church and State condemned the comments by officials of Lancaster, a largely conservative city of 145,000 north of the San Fernando Valley.

"There's no such thing as a Christian government or an officially Christian community in the United States," said Rob Boston, a senior policy analyst for Washington, D.C.-based Americans United. "Our Constitution is a secular document establishing religious freedom for everybody.

"Any politician who thinks his job is to act like a pastor is seriously misguided and probably needs to get out of office."

Boston called Marquez's remarks "a sad example of a type of ignorance that's fairly common in this country right now. It's wrong to take the actions of one person and project them back to an entire religion."

Comparing the New York case to the Kansas trial of the confessed killer of a prominent abortion doctor, Boston said: "It would be wrong to say all Christians think abortion doctors should be murdered."

The Marquez and Kellar incidents point up risks for politicians in the age of social media such as Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.

"Many people speak as if they're only speaking to people who agree with them," said Peter Marston, a professor of communications at California State University, Northridge. "There's a learning curve to the new technology."

typical religious/political polarization and xenophobia in "uncertain" times. barf.
no one support these people.

And he "matches up" with MY city's current mayor, Bob Kellar. I'm in Santa Clarita, California, which is also in Los Angeles County, and very close to the City of Los Angeles. Our state senator, George Runner, and our congressional represenative, [Fuck] Buck McKeon, all run in the same, sick pack.

They're openly racist. They're dangerous people.

this is sick and wrong - The Mayor is a typical un-American, arrogant, Christian fascist.